1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for lubricating railroad rails which are mountable to a track vehicle.
2) Description of the Prior Art
It has long been the practice to apply grease or similar gel-like lubricants to the sides of rails at curves, switches and other parts of the railroad track. Such lubricants are still applied to the inside sides of the rail head to reduce the friction which occurs as the flanges of the train's wheels contact the sides of the rail. Lubricants and/or friction controlling gels are also applied to the top of the rail. The friction reduction results in reduction of wear of both the rail and the wheels and reduced fuel consumption of the locomotion of the train and of squealing noises.
Devices for lubricating rails are already known, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,814. Typically, these devices for lubricating rails are mounted on a track vehicle, such as a pickup truck equipped with additional flanged wheels. The lubricating nozzle of the device is secured to a rail gear mounted to a truck body.
Preferably, the devices for lubricating rails should direct the lubricant L along a straight line at a constant fixed distance as measured from the head of the rail as shown in FIG. 1A. However, due to the suspension of the track vehicle and the varying weight of the vehicle due to varying loads, the position of the lubricant L varies on the track as shown in FIG. 1B. This varying position of the lubricant can cause excessive waste, inefficient lubricant use and locomotion traction problems if the lubricant is mistakenly placed on the top of the rails.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for lubricating a rail that can accurately apply lubricant to a rail.